Chapter 2

"Stickkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stickpaw. Your mentor shall be Dirtynose." Wiskerstar mewed, and Stickpaw licked his shoulder.

"Thank you," Stickpaw whispered to Wiskerstar. Wiskerstar nodded at Stickpaw and jumped down off of the old log, "Meeting dismissed." Stickpaw walked up to Dirtynose.

"What are we going to do today?" Stickpaw perked up in excitement.

"Well, I am going to give you a tour of the territory, then a quick lesson in hunting," Dirtynose said and walked out of camp with Stickpaw behind him.

"Here is the Flowerclan border. Never go over this border unless you are sent to deliver a message." Dirtynose said. "just over here." Dirtynose jumped across a big log and waited for Stickpaw while she scrabbled over and plopped down at the other side. "Is the main hunting grounds. You must be careful around here because you don't want to-" Dirtynose stepped on a twig which snapped. "To scare all the prey away." Dirtynose licked his chest a few times. "Anyways, we can find more around. Now, this will be an excellent spot to practice your hunting crouch." Dirtynose mewed.

"So, you must lay but right over the grass, so you don't brush it and scare your prey." Dirtynose showed what to do, and Stickpaw followed what he said. "Good, now this is the hard park, slowly creep forwards." Dirtynose showed again. Stickkit did the best that she could. "It is ok for a new apprentice, but you are putting a lot more weight on your left side than your right." Dirtynose tried to help, but Stickpaw got used to it quickly. "You are a quick learner. Now, see that mouse on the other side, over there?" Dirtynose pointed at the mouse with his tail tip. "Try to hunt it."

Slowly Stickpaw got closer to the mouse, but when she was about two-tail lengths away from it, another cat jumped out and killed the mouse. The other cat looked at Stickpaw. It was Flippaw. "Oh, I am so sorry for killing your mouse. I guess you should be quicker." Flippaw walked back through a bush and walked away.

"Foxdung." Stickpaw cursed, and Dirtynose walked up to her.

"What happened, Stickpaw? You were so close, But I saw that other cat." Dirtynose asked, and Stickpaw told him what happened. "Oh well, let us go somewhere else. I will talk to his mentor." Dirtynose mewed in a calm voice and walked away in a random direction with Stickpaw on behind him. 

"Here looks like a good spot," Dirtynose said and turned to Stickpaw. "Now, can you smell any prey?" Dirtynose asked. Stickpaw sniffed the air and said what she smelled.

"I can smell a mouse. I think a." Stickpaw sniffed the air again. "I think a fox was around here earlier." She also said. Dirtynose smelled the air himself.

"You are right, but the fox should be long gone. Now let us go after that mouse. Remember what I taught you, and make sure to stay downwind!" Dirtynose whispered into Stickpaws ear, and Stickpaw got into her hunting crouch and went after the mouse. When Stickpaw was around two tail-lengths ahead of her was the mouse. Stickpaw wiggled her hunches and jumped. The mouse squeaked and ran, but it was too slow, and Stickpaw trapped it in her paws. Stickpaw leads out the killing bite to the throat.

"Good job, Stickpaw!" Dirtynose said, walking over. "It is rare for an apprentice to catch something their first time," Dirtynose said, and Stickpaw looked at his mentor was a smile on her face. "Well, let us head back to camp." Dirtynose mewed, and they headed on their way back to camp with the mouse in Stickpaws mouth. 

When they got back into camp, Stickpaw placed her mouse on top of the fresh-kill pile. Snowpaw, Stickpaws sister, walked up to Stickpaw. "Wow! What a big kill! I wish I could have had something like that. I couldn't even walk forwards while crouching." Snowpaw said.

"I bet you will get something next time! I just got lucky." Stickpaw mewed to Snowpaw. Snowpaw threw a playful swipe, claws sheathed. "Hey!" Stickkit mewed, and the two cats started to play wrestle around camp.

"Hey Patchfur, you remember when we used to do that?" The elder pointed at Stickpaw, and Snowpaw played wrestling with his tail tip.

"Oh yes, I do, Flypelt. Our mentor always yelled at us. We just kept on going." Patchfur mewed to Flypelt. Dirtynose walked up to the two she-cats playing.

"Hey, do that somewhere else other than in the middle of the camp!" Stickpaw and Snowpaw immediately stood up and looked at Dirtynose. Dirtynoses' mate, Jankedlight walked up to Dirtynose.

"Dirtynose, we used to do the same thing, so has everyone else. Let's just go hunt or something." Jankedlight mewed, and Dirtynose followed Jankedlight out of the camp.

"Well then, that was something." Stickpaw mewed, and her belly grumbled. "We should go eat. We haven't eaten since we got back." Stickpaw and Snowpaw walked over to the fresh-kill pile. Stickpaw got a shrew, and Snowpaw got a mouse. They walked over to eat by the apprentices' den. "How was your first day as an apprentice?" Stickpaw asked.

"It was ok. First, Shadesight showed me how to mark borders. Then Shadesight tried to teach me how to do a hunting crouch, but you already know how that went. Later Shadesight showed me some basic fighting moves. I say that I was pretty good at that." Snowpaw mewed to Stickpaw as Stickpaw took a bite out of her shrew. "So, how was yours?" Snowpaw asked Stickpaw.

"Oh, it was pretty good. First, Dirtynose showed me the border then showed me the hunting crouch. But when I was about to get a mouse, Flippaw came out of nowhere and took my mouse!" Stickpaw mewed. Snowpaw looked behind Stickpaw; then she turned back to Stickpaw.

"Uhm, bad time to say that, Stickpaw." Snowpaw hissed to Stickpaw. Stickpaw looked behind her, and Flippaw was there.

"You mad that I took your mouse? Well, just be quicker, or maybe become a weak, little medicine cat." Flippaw mewed. Every cat looked at Flippaw. "What? Medicine cats are weak. They are too scared to become a real warrior!" Flippaw mewed in a demanding but mousebrained voice. Everyone just looked away and started to whisper to each other.

"Wow, Flippaw, you have bees in your brain?" Stickpaw mewed, and Snowpaw had to hold back her laugh. "No brain, all bronze." Stickpaw stood up after the last bite of her mouse.

"I am the oldest. You are just a she-cat! What do you do? No she-cat can be a real warrior. Only toms can." Everyone looked back at Flippaw. Stickpaw didn't know what to say. Flippaw kept arguing, and Stickpaw and Snowpaw got up and tossed the mouses bones outside of camp.

"Flippaw, tell me what you said?" Wiskerstar stood in front of Flippaw. "Repeat it to me, now." Wiskerstar mewed. Flippaw still had a smug grin on his face.

"You heard me, you old sack. You shouldn't be our leader. You are too old. Go join the elders." Flippaw mewed, everyone looked at Flippaw with wide eyes. They started to murmur to each other. Wiskerstar kept on looking at the young apprentice.

"Well, if I should join the elders, then you, and only you will clean out ticks, Flippaw." Wiskerstar mewed, yowls of support came, and Flippaw looked around, surprised that no cat was on his side. "Go clean the elders' ticks." Wiskerstar mewed, but Flippaw stood still. "I said now." Slowly Flippaw made his way over to the apprentice den, with boos around him every second. Wiskerstar jumps onto the log.

"Let all cats that can hunt, please come to the log for a clan meeting!" Wiskerstar yowled. Every cat in the camp gathered in front of Wiskerstar. "I guess you all heard what Flippaw said, but we are clanmates. No need to boo him." Wiskerstar said.

"Why should we be nice to Flippaw!" A cat mewed, more and more cats murmured about it. Once everyone was quiet, Lightpelt stood up.

"Ever since I helped his mother give birth, I felt some kind of darkness or something like that in him. With your permission, may I go to the glowingstone?" Lightpelt asked. Wiskerstar nodded with approval. "I will leave at halfhigh-moon," Lightpelt said and walked back into her den.

"Meeting dismissed," Wiskerstar said as he jumped off the log. Stickpaw and Snowpaw looked at each other, jaws wide open.

"What in the name of Spirtclan are they talking about?" Stickpaw asked Snowpaw. Snowpaw just shrugged. "I guess Lightpelt is going to the glowingstone." Stickpaw mewed. 

"Yep, I want to go, but I know I can't, maybe when I am older." Snowpaw mewed. "You know, it is pretty late. We should go back to our nests." Snowpaw said, and Stickpaw noticed how tired she was. Stickpaw nodded as they went back to their nests. "Night Stickpaw," Snowpaw said as she laid down with her furry tail place lightly on top of her nose.

"Good night." Stickpaw mewed and laid down with her tail beside her. They both quickly fell into a deep sleep.

"Stop! Snowpaw, please!" Stickpaw yowled, but it seemed like no one heard her. Snowpaw kept on slashing at Stickpaw. "Please! You are hurting me! You are my sister." Stickpaw yowled again. Still, no one stepped in to stop it, but a cat slowly started to walk over. Their eyes were digging into her soul. When the cat reached Stickpaw, the floor split open. Stickpaw slowly fell into the darkness with random whispering. But there was one voice that was louder than any other one.

"The clans will come as one. Blood will spill before there is peace," The voice mewed; Stickpaw leaned her head forwards. 

"What did you say?" Stickpaw asked, but before the voice could respond, Stickpaw woke up from her dream. "What was that kind of dream," Stickpaw asked herself. Yowls were heard in camp again. "What now! Didn't this happen?" Stickpaw mewed and walked outside of the den.

"Just love me! I am wide open for a mate, and you deny me?" Moonfoot yowled; every cat in the camp looked at him. Longleaf just looked around, clearly scared. "I want you a mate! Just please love me!" Longleaf shook her head.

"I don't like you. I don't want a mate right now." Longleaf mewed, but Moonfoot didn't care. It took Stickpaw by surprise, the hatred in Moonfoots eyes, Looking dead into Longleaf.

"I just don't want a mate!" Longleaf yowled. Stickpaw had to cover her ears because of how to load it was. Moonfoot ran away but not before saying something.

"You don't like me? You're a mousebrain!." Moonfoot mewed then he ran into the forest.

"Why didn't you go for him? He is a kind cat, plus he likes you." Another cat asked Longleaf, and then even more questions were asked. Longleaf just walked to the warriors' den by herself.

"What was that all for?" Stickpaw asked herself, another voice that she remembered responded.

"I am not sure." Mountain mewed. "Guess some cats are crazy and will do anything to try to mate another cat." He mewed while Stickpaw looked up at him.

"Stickpaw!" A voice mewed. Stickpaw looked over at the voice, and it was Brokenlight. Brokenlight walked over to Stickpaw, "Who were you talking to?" He asked. Stickpaw didn't know what to say to her father.

"I was, uh, talking to myself! Yeah, myself." Stickpaw quickly mewed, and Brokenlight turned and walked away. "That was a close one," Stickpaw murmured to herself.

"Yes, it was Stickpaw," Mountain mewed while he looked around the camp. Stickpaw stretched.

"Stickpaw, go eat, then we are going to practice fighting moves with Shadesight and Snowpaw." Dirtynose mewed to Stickpaw; she walked over to the fresh-kill pile, took a squirrel, and quickly ate it. "You must have been hungry!" Dirtynose jokingly mewed, and Stickpaw lightly threw a bone at Dirtynoses chest. Dirtynose lightly threw it back, and Stickpaw got up and tossed the bones away. "Follow me, Shadesight. You and Snowpaw ready?" Dirtynose mewed.

"Yes, we are. You take the lead, Dirtynose." Shadesight said while walking behind them. Snowpaw asked tons of questions as always.

When the cats got there, Stickpaw and Snowpaw sat in front of their mentors. "Today, we will teach you the basics of fighting; then later, you two will be sparing, claws sheathed." Dirtynose mewed while the two mentos took their apprentices to one side of the grass pit. "Now, hunting crouch and a fighting crouch are very similar but very different. So, follow what I do." Dirtynose said, and when into a fighting crouch, Stickpaw followed suit. Stickpaws legs felt more uncomfy than when she was doing a hunting crouch. "Close, spread your legs a little more, and also bring your two front paws closer to you. Your paws are way too far out. Try not to lean too far to your left." Dirtynose mewed. Stickpaw did her best. "Good, now try to bring up your left paw." Dirtynose mewed, and Stickpaw tried, but she could barely bring it off the ground. Dirtynose sat there for a second, thinking. "Try to lean to your right more and try again." Stickpaw tried again, doing what Dirtynose said. Stickpaw could get her paw up in the air. "Good, now bring it in and swipe with your claws sheathed." Dirtynose mewed, and Stickpaw tried her best. "Not that bad for your first time." Stickpaw sat up with pride and sore paws.

"You ready over there, Dirtynose?" Shadesight asked, and Dirtynose shook his head.

"Still need to do a few things!" Dirtynose mewed back and looked at Stickpaw. "Now I need to teach you how to dodge, it seems easy, but it is very hard, especially when you need to swipe right after." Dirtynose mewed and showed Stickpaw what to do. "Jump when I swipe, ok?" Dirtynose mewed, and Stickpaw got ready for Dirtynoses attack. Dirtynose let out a slower swipe, and Stickpaw easily dodged it. "Good, I think you are about ready, just a few more dodges. Then one more thing, we are down on time, so this will be quick, it will be like when you and your sisters or brothers jumped on each other, it is somewhat like that." Dirtynose mewed.

"I think you are ready." Dirtynose mewed, and Stickpaw sat up, feeling the energy going through her, and she was ready. "Shadesight, you ready?" Dirtynose asked, and Shadesight nodded. "Now, get to the middle." Stickpaw and Snowpaw walked into the middle, getting ready. "Remember! No claws out!" Dirtynose mewed, and the two she-cats got prepared to hear the words to start. "Go!" Dirtynose mewed, and the two cats jumped at each other, giving one another hard hits with their claws sheathed. Snowpaw jumped and landed on Stickpaws back, but instinctive, she flopped back, squishing her sister. Snowpaw yowled when she felt Stickpaw flop back onto her. Stickpaw rolled over and jumped onto her sister and placed her paws on her belly.

"Alright, that is good. Stickpaw let Snowpaw up." Dirtynose mewed, and Snowpaw got up whine Stickpaw walked away but not before Snowpaw swiped at Stickpaw and hit her lightly on her nose. Snowpaw purred lightly, and Stickpaw walked back to her side. Shadesight walked up to Snowpaw and helped her up. "That was good for your first spar, but there is still much to learn, but I think we will go again. Try to learn your opponent so you can do your best fighting them." Dirtynose mewed. Stickpaw nodded and stretched. "You ready for round two, Shadesight?" Dirtynose asked. Shadesight nodded his head. "Alright, you two, get ready." Dirtynose mewed, and the apprentices got ready. "Ready, set, go!" As Dirtynose mewed that, Snowpaw jumped, and Stickpaw tried to leap out of the way, but she was too late, and Snowpaw landed on her back and tipped over. Using her body weight, Snowpaw tipped over Stickpaw. As she fell over, Snowpaw jumped out and landed on Stickpaws belly and placed a paw over her neck, but before Dirtynose or Shadesight could say anything, Stickpaw used all of her power to roll over and leaped onto Snowpaw and placed a paw on her neck.

"Good, good, you can stop now." The two she-cats walked over to her mentor. They spared again and again till it was sunset, then the four cats walked back to camp. Dirtynose was talking with Shadesight and Stickpaw talking to Snowpaw.

"You did really good, Snowpaw!" Stickpaw mewed, and Snowpaw flicked her tail as saying, "You too." They slowly made their way back to camp. Stickpaw yawned and felt like she would pass out as soon as they got into the camp. But when they got into camp, every cat was around the log. "Wonder why everyone is around the log?" Stickpaw asked into Snowpaws ear, and she shrugged. As they sat down, they saw a cat in front of the log.

"Why are you here?" Wiskerstar asked a cat. The cat looked up at Wiskerstar.

"I am Jumper. I am here to inform you about a pending attack from a rouge clan." Jumper mewed to Wiskerstar, Wiskerstar wiggled his wiskers.

"What is this 'rouge clan' are you walking about?" Wiskerstar asked.

"They call themselves 'The Loners.' They are children of a clan that was pushed out of the forest by Flowerclan and Stormclan. They now want their part back, and they look ready to kill whenever." Jumper said. Wiskerstar stood there for a second.

"How did you find out about them?" Wiskerstar asked Jumper. Jumper went on about how he found out, Wiskerstar listening to all of it, from beginning to end. "Thank you, what would you like in return, Jumper?" Wiskerstar asked Jumper.

"Some protection. I will live like your cats and help in the battle. But after, I will be on my way." Jumper said as the rest of the clan murmured to each other.

"Silence, he has given great information. In return, we will fulfill your request." Wiskertstar mewed. "Meeting dismissed, Jumper. I would like to see you in my den." Wiskerstar said as he hopped off of the log and walked to his den, Jumper following him. Stickpaw looked and Snowpaw.

"Do you think what Jumper is saying is true?" Stickpaw asked her sister; Snowpaw shrugged. "Well, I don't think what he is saying is true." Stickpaw mewed again as they walked back to their dens. They were tired, and as soon as the two she-cats fell into their nest, they soon fell asleep.

Stickpaw was running away from whatever the thing behind her was. She did not dare to look back. Stickpaw felt the thing's breath on her hind legs. "Get away from me! What are you?" Stickpaw yowled, the monster responded in a deep, scratchy voice.

"I am the thing that you fear, the thing that hunts you down, all your worries and fears we know. Do not be afraid; come closer. Yes, that is it. Feed me more!" The thing said, Stickpaw felt tired, she was going slower, the thing's breath crawled up her back and onto her neck. "There is no running from us. We are always here. Always listening, always feeding." The thing said Stickpaw couldn't say another word before the monster jumped on her. 

"Get off of me!" Stickpaw said, but when she tried to swipe at the thing, it went right through them, teeth slowly showed when till tons of tiny white teeth showed, the monster leaned over and bit her neck. Stickpaw tried to flee, but it was no use; the thing dug in deeper. Stickpaw couldn't move. Stickpaw tried to turn and scratch the thing, but still, she couldn't move. The thing dug in deeper and deeper; Stickpaw looked around quickly, trying to find something to help her, but after a second passed, all the pain left. Stickpaw looked up from where she was lying. The monster was gone.

"What was that?" Stickpaw asked herself; it felt creepy. Slowly another cat appeared walked to her, she waited till she could see the other cat better, but it was Mountian and Pebble.

"Are you sure, Mountian?" Pebble asked his mentor, and Mountain looked at Pebble. "Like maybe she shouldn't know yet? It would be crazy to her!" Pebble kept on blabbering on.

"I am right here, you know? Just tell me!" Stickpaw mewed; Moutain looked back at Stickpaw with a calm face. "So? You going to tell me?" Stickpaw asked. Moutains' eyes dug into Stickpas skin, and she shook her pelt.

"Look, Flippaw is not as it seems. Yes, he is a mouse brain and all, but he is more, more evil, a killer, some would say. Your leader, Wiskerstar as two more lives left, and Flipfur will take the last two, killing your leader unless you work fast. Tell everyone they may not believe you, but once Wiskerstar dies in front of them, Flipfur standing on top of him. Blood in his paws." Mountain mewed, and Stookpaw looked off.

"My brother will be a killer? What am I going to do? If everyone believes me, then what do we do?" Stickpaw asked, and Moutain just shrugged.

"We are not sure, but the best thing is to get him out of camp as soon as he can." Mountain mewed, Pebble just sat there listening to Moutain.

"I told you, Moutain, we shouldn't have done this! Not in till she is older!" Pebble mewed, and Moutain pushed him away. Stickpaw looked at the two old cats doing whatever, but her vision started to blur. She was waking up. Stickpaw heard a voice calling to her.

"Stickpaw, Stickpaw! Hey Stickpaw, you alive?" The voice mewed. Stickpaw opened her eyes. It was Snowpaw, "Are you coming? We get to hunt today!" Snowpaw mewed happily. Stickpaw slowly stood up and cleaned her pelt.

"I will be out in a second." Stickpaw mewed, trying to clean herself up as much as she could. After a few more licks, it was good enough for her, and Stickpaw walked out of the den. Shandesight was talking to Snowpaw while Dirtynose looked across the camp with his eyes trying to find Stickpaw.

"Oh, I didn't see you there, Stickpaw." Dirtynose mewed to Stickpaw as she walked up to her mentor. "So, you most likely know what we are going to do; we are going hunting. I hope you practiced your hunters' crouch!" Dirtynose mewed as the four cats headed out of camp.